by Olivier Acuña Barba •Published: May 18, 2025•19:23•2 minutes read
Pope Leo XIV arrived at St. Petersburg Square on his white popemobilly and greeted the approximately 200,000 people gathered to attend his inauguration | Photo: AP
Pope Leo XIV held an inauguration mass in St. Peter’s Square, where he arrived at the white popemovie, waving to the thousands of people there to salute him on his first day.
Formerly Cardinal Robert Prebust, Leo was officially established as head of the Catholic Church at an outdoor mass at St. Peters Square, attended by world leaders and European royals.
In his sermon, the 267th Pope and the first American in the two,000-year history of the Catholic Church called for unity within the church, saying that getting closer to the church “as a brother” “with fear and trembling.” “We want our first great desire to be a sign of unity and communion for a unified church.
The New Pope’s Call for Peace
Pope Leo XIV sought peace in Gaza, Myanmar and Ukraine when he gave Sunday’s blessing at the end of his first Mass at St. Peters Square.
Leo expressed his hope for the peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev to bring “fair and lasting peace” to Ukraine, offering prayers to Gaza, children, families and the elderly “starved.”
He also recalled that “new hostilities took a short, innocent young life and said among the masses “I felt a strong sense of the spiritual presence of Pope Francis, accompanied by us from heaven.”
After the Mass he met with Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky, but details of the encounter have not been released yet. Pope Leo also shook the hand of Vice President JD Vance. Catholic leaders have repeatedly criticized the Vice President and Donald Trump for their immigration stance.
The clergy thanked the 200,000 people and numerous delegations attending the Eucharist, expressing their gratitude to representatives of the nation, churches and various religions, Vatican News It has been reported.
“In the joy of faith and communion, we cannot forget our brothers and sisters who are suffering for war,” Pope Leo said.
The bond between male and female
On Friday, Leo told Vatican diplomats he met with “families being established in stable unions between men and women.”
His statement coincides with his comments in 2012. As Pastor Robert Prevast, head of the Augustinian Order, he criticized the “gay lifestyle” and the role of mass media in promoting the acceptance of same-sex relationships that are opposed to Catholic doctrine.
However, in 2022 he acknowledged Pope Francis’ appeal to a more inclusive church, saying he didn’t want to rule out people based on their lifestyle.
He also reached out to LGBTQ Catholics, claiming that they are welcomed in the church by LGBTQ Catholics.
